Clam-shell-bucket apparatus.



J. C. FRENCPL CLAM SHELL BUCKET APPARATUS.

APPUCATION man APR.5,1915.

1,246,578. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. C. FRENCH.

CLAM SHELL BUCKET APPARATUS.

APPLxcATloN FILED A'PR.5.1915.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 IIa/1 I. C. FRENCH.

CLAM SHELL BUCKET APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5.19I5. 1,246,578, Patented N0v.13, 1917.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 3.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

JAMES C. FRENCH, or xENosHA, WIsCoNsIN, AssIGNoE To FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, E

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLAM-SHELL-BUCKET APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1 3, 1917.

Application filed April 5, 1915. Serial No. 19,130.

To all whom it may concern.;

Be it known that I, JAMES C. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Kenosha, Kenosha county, Visconsin, (510 Exchange street,) have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clam-Shell-Bucket Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traveling bucket apparatus for use in conjunction with street paving machines of the kind in which the materials are mixed in a suitable receptacle and then discharged into a bucket by which the mixture is conveyed to the point of discharge on the street.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and efficient form of bucket for conveying the mixture from the machine to the point of discharge, and means for automatically opening and closing the bucket at the bottom thereof, thereby facilitating the operation of the apparatus, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and conibinations tending to increase the general eiiiciency and serviceability of a traveling bucket apparatus of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a. side elevation of a traveling bucket apparatus embodying the principles of said invention, showing the adjacent portions of the mixing machine, which latter may be of any suitable or known character.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section on line 3 3 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged planof the mechanism which supports the bucket on the track or runway, showing the adjacent portions of the latter.

Fig. 5 is a similar section on line 4-4 in Fig. 4.

As thus illustrated, this invention comprises a body.frame A upon which is suitably supported the rotary mixing receptacle B, the latter being of any suitable character. Upon this frame is also mounted the hollow swivel C, which latter has, a vertical axis, the overhead sheaves D and E, and

the Winding drums F and G, the `latter being sultably connected by a gear f with the large gear-rlng b on the rotary receptacle. The hollow or tubular swivel C is provide-d with a segmental Worm wheel c which is engaged by the worm H suitably mounted on the frame and driven by a sprocket connection L, the latter being operated in any suitable manner, whereby the said swivel may be oscillated about its vertical axis. Clutches of any suitable character, controlled by a hand lever I, as will be readily understood, may be employed for controlling the'rotation of the drums F and G, it being understood, as will hereinafter more fully appear, that these drums constitute the means for operating the bucket apparatus. Any suitable means can be employed for furnishing the power to operate said mixing receptacle, to drive the said drums, `and for operating the sprocket connection L which transmits the power for oscillating said swivel.

The bucket apparatus comprises a bucket J which may be of any suitable construction, but which, as shown, has the general form of a socalled clam shell bucket, being composed of two halves which are hinged together at j, whereby separation of these halves, about their pivotal connection, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, serves in effect to open the bottom of the bucket and thereby discharge-the load. The two halves of said bucket are supported by upwardly converging pivoted arms K which are pivoted to the two halves of the bucket at c, the upper ends of said arms being pivoted on the cheek plates L which are secured to the hollow swivel Z, the latter being mounted to turn in the lower end of the traveling support or carriage M, whereby the bucket is movable back and forth and also about a vertical axis. The track or runway N is pivoted at fn to the lower end of the swivel IC, whereby said track or runway may be raised or lowered by adjusting the turnbuckle support O in the connection o which extends from the outer end of the runway to a suitable pointof attachment on the upper end of the body frame. The two sides of the track or runway are spaced apart in any suitable manner and provide rails for the wheels m of the said carriage. A journal P is mounted 0n this carriage, and the drum p is loose on said journal, being rigid with the ratchet wheels Q and R, and the sprocket wheel or pinion S is also loosely mounted on said journahbeing provided with ratchet dogs a for engagingthe ratchet Q to wind the rope T upon the said drum when the said pinion or toothed wheel S is rotated in the direction of the arrow. This rope T is connected by rods t with the pivot joint j of the bucket. A locking dog U is pivoted on the carriage, in any suitable manner, and arranged to engage the ratchet wheel R, thereby holding the rope or cable T in wound up condition on the drum, thus holding the two halves of the bucket against separation while carrying the load. Rack teeth V, of any suitable form, such as rollers disposed between and suitably mounted on the rails N, are disposed near the mixing machine and in position to engage the sprocket or pinion S when the bucket approaches said machine, thereby winding up the rope T and closing the bucket automatically before it reaches the position for receiving the load.

A cable W is attached to the outer side of the carriage M and arranged to travel Y ranged side by side, and then down to the drum F by which this cable is operated to draw the bucket toward the out/er end of the runway. Another cable Y is'suitably attached to the carriage M, and also to the locking-dog U at u, said cable then extending under the other sheave `X, thence upward through the swivel C, then over lthe other sheave E, and then down to the drum G by which the bucket is drawn toward the mixing machine.

With the wheels c and the bucket can swing sidewise and may turn around and dump anywhere alone the track. Also, with the swivel Z, the buc 'et can be adjusted on its pivot to receive the load, regardless of the position or direction of the swinging track.

The operation is as follows: lhen the cable W is o erated`the bucket is moved to the outer en `of the runway, and while passing the rack teeth V the ratchet dogs s slide freely backwardover the teeth of the ratchet wheel Q, ina manner that will be readily understood. `When the dumping position is reached, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, the drums are then reversed and a sudden pull on the cable Y jerks the locking dog U but of engagement with the ratchet R, thereby allowing the drum p to rotate and unwind the rope or cable rl, thus permitting the weight cit the load to separate the two halves et the bucket, causing the desired disintact/e charge of the mixture on the street. The continued movement of the bucket toward the mixing machine finally brin the inion S into engagement with the rac V, t ereby winding up the'cable T and restoring the bucket to its normal condition for rece1ving the next load. Thus the bucket is again locked in carryin position, and a reversal of the drums, a r the bucket is loaded, will then cause the cable W to draw the bucket toward the outer end of runway.

The invention, of course, is not limited to the exact construction shown and described.,

What I claim' as in invention is 1. A traveling' bucket apparatus comprising a runway, a bucket supported to travel along said runway, bucket-dumpin mechanism including a ratchet also traveling with said bucket along said runway, a line to control said mechanism and thereby dump the load, and means on said runway to opcrate said mechanism and thereby restore said bucket to carrying condition while approaching the loadin position thereof.

2. A traveling 'buc et apparatus comprising a runway, a bucket supported to travel along said runway, bucket-dumping mechanism also traveling with said bucket along said runway, a line to control said mechanism and thereby dump the load, and means on said runway to operate said mechanism and thereby restore said bucket to carrying condition. `while approaching the loading position thereof, said mechanism including a drum provided with a cable for dumping and restoring said bucket, a pinion for operating said drum, and a rack on said runway tooperate said pinion'.

3. A traveling bucket apparatus comprising a runway, a bucket supported to travel alongv said runway, bucket-dumping mechanism also traveling with said lbucket along said runway, and means on said runway to operate said mechanism, said mechanism including a winding drum provided with a cable for dumping and restoring said bucket, ratchet wheels rigidV with said drum, a pinion having a ratchet dog for engaging one of said ratchet wheels to rotate lsaid drum and thereby move said bucket into carrying position, a locking dog for the other ratchet wheel, a rack on said runway to engage said pinion, means for moving the bucket toward the dumping osition, means for moving the bucket towar receiving position, said locking dog being connected with said last mentioned means to automatically release said drum and thereby dump the load when the direction of' travel of the bucket is reversed.

d. A traveling bucket apparatus comprising a runway, a bucket havingk devices by which. it is supported to travel along said runway, bucket-dumping mechanism also travelin f with said bucket alone said run- Way, a i.ne te control said mechanism and agrarias thereby dump the "load, and means on said runway to operate said mechanism and thereby restore said bucket to carrying coiidition while approaching the loading position thereof, said bucket comprising two clamshell halves constructed with a pivotal connection between them, and said mechanism comprising a winding drum provided with a flexible connection extending downward to operate said halves relative to each other, said devices supporting the bucket at fixed height during the operation of said iiexible connection.

5. A traveling bucket apparatus .comprisf ing a runway, a bucket supported to travel along said runway, bucket-dumping mecha-v nism also traveling with said bucket along said runway, a line to control. said mechanism and thereby dump the load, and means on said runway to operate said mechanism Yand thereby restore said bucket to carrying condition while approaching the loading position thereof, said mechanism comprising a winding drum operated with a {iexible connection extending downward to the bucket, and means including a swivel by which the bucket is supported on the runway, vindependently of said flexible connection, said swivel having an axial opening for said ilexible connection.

6. In combination, a track having a bucket mounted to travel thereon, mechanism to dump the load at any desired point along said track, a swivel to permit rotation of the bucket about a vertical axis, so that the bucket may turnaround anddump at any point along said track, devices to operate the bucket alongits path of travel, a connection to control said mechanism atv will and to return the bucket along said track to loading position, and means to automatically restore the bucket to carrying condition after the dumping of the load, said bucket comprising pivotally-connected sections adapted to swing apart to dumpl the load, and said mechanism having means extending through said swivel to control the pivotalmovements of the two sections.

7 In combination, a track having a bucket mounted to travel thereon, a swivel to permit rotation of the bucket about a vertical axis, so that the bucket may turn around and dump at any point along said track, inechanism to dump the load at any desired point along said track, and to automatically restore the bucket to carrying condition while in any rotated position on said swivel, after dumping the load, devices to operate the bucket along itspath of travel,.and a connection. to control said mechanism at will and to return the bucket along said track to loading position, said bucket comprising pivotally connected sections adaptedto swing .apart to dump the load, and said mechanism having means extending ,through said swivel toJ control the pivotal movements of the two sections.

8. The structure of claim 6, as stated, said means. including a rack on said track and a pinion associated with said mechanism to engage said rack.

9. The structure of claim 7, as stated, said mechanism including a drum and ratchet therefor to release the load and to raise the sections into carrying position.

10. In combination, a track having a,v bucket mounted to'travel thereon, a swivel to permit rotation of the bucket about a vertical axis, so that the bucket may turn around freely at any point along said track, devices to operate the bucket along its path of travel, means for at will controlling the bucket through said swivel to dump 4the load at any desired point along said track and Vfor returning the bucket to loading position,

. store said bucket to carrying condition after dum ing the load and before reaching the loading position.

SignedI by me at Chicago, illinois, this 25th day .of March, 1915.

JAMES C. FRENCH. lllitnesses:`

RACHEL J. RICHARDSON, Rosa E. Sonivniu. 

